The invention relates generally to handgun holsters, and in particular to handgun holsters having adjustable restraining straps.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
It is well known to employ a safety strap to retain a handgun in a holster. It is generally desirable that the safety strap be relatively easily releasable to facilitate withdrawal of the handgun, and accordingly a safety strap is typically attached at one end to a front wall of the holster by a releasable fastener such as a snap arrangement. It is also desirable that a safety strap be adjustable to permit the holster to accommodate guns of different sizes.
Frequently, adjustable straps for securing the handgun in the holster are attached at one end to a portion of the holster adjacent the belt loop. The other end is connected to the front wall of the holster for easy release.
Holsters typically are releasably supported by a belt, and include a belt loop for this purpose, through which a belt is threaded. The belt loop has a first end attached to a back wall of the holster immediately adjacent the wearer's leg, and a second, lower free end which is either secured to the back wall, or is attached to a body strap encircling or girdling the body of the holster at its lower end. Typically, the body strap has a midportion attached to the belt loop at a back wall of the holster, and two ends which are brought to the front wall of the holster where they are joined together by a snap fastener or the like.
Previous arrangements of holsters having releasable straps will now be described. As will be seen, the construction of these arrangements is somewhat complicated, requiring many parts for their assembly, and requiring several steps for performing that assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,680 provides an upstanding vertically-oriented tab secured to the belt loop of a holster with opposed L-shaped spring arms. The tab is formed of a leather body which is riveted and sewn to contain the spring legs. The gun-retaining strap is snapped at one end to the upstanding tab, and is snapped at its other end to the front wall of the holster, in the usual manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,687 provides a holster with a belt loop having a free end secured with a girdle-like body strap which encircles the body of the holster and is snapped in position at a point overlying the holster front wall. The handgun-retaining strap has an inner end riveted to the belt loop and has a free end with the customary releasable snap fastener. The handgun-retaining strap is not adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,303 discloses a belt loop whose free end is secured to the holster body with a girdle-like body strap which encircles the holster body. An adjustable handgun-retaining strap is formed of two strap members which are riveted together. A first strap member has a free end releasably secured to a front wall of the holster with a customary snap fastener. The other strap member is secured to the belt loop with a screw fastener after a belt is threaded through the belt loop, between a hinged portion thereof and the second strap member. Not only is the belt-threading operation complicated, the screw-type securement is somewhat tedious to perform and leaves the tip of the screw shaft exposed for possible penetration into the back wall of the holster. Further, several steps are required to form not only the handgun-retaining strap but also the remainder of the holster construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,466 illustrates one type of holster employing a fastener arrangement of two fabric-like hook and loop materials that adhere to each other when pressed into contact. One fastener material is sewn to the inside surface of the belt loop, its free end being fastened to a front holster wall with a snap fastener, in the customary manner. The snap fasteners for securing the free end of the belt loop are applied to a separate thickness of material which, in turn, is sewn to a holster back wall.
Other arrangements for providing fastener material to a belt loop are known. For example, one type of fastener material has been provided on the back wall of the holster. In order to provide an adjustable, handgun-retaining strap, a girdle-like body strap for the free end of the belt loop has been provided. This arrangement provides a significant improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,466 because, due to the orientation of the handgun-retaining strap relative to the rear holster wall, tension forces applied to the fastener material are almost totally in shear, and are therefore better restrained by the fastener material.
Any of the arrangements described above require assembly of several different components in multiple steps or stages of manufacture. Several of the above arrangements, such as those employing a two-part fastener material, introduce extra protruding members within the belt loop which obstruct the threading of a belt therethrough.
Several of the arrangements described above require a girdle-like body strap comprised of either one or two strap members which must be secured to the free end of the belt loop, adding extra layers of thickness between the back wall of the holster and the wearer's leg. The holster is susceptible to rotation about its longitudinal axis because of rockable contact of the belt loop with the outer portion of the wearer's leg, and since the safety straps protruding into the interior of the belt loop, particularly those straps attached to a holster back wall also cause a rocking against the wearer's belt. This rocking is particularly pronounced when a two-part (e.g., hook and loop) fastener material is employed, since three relatively narrow strips, each of substantial thickness, are built one on top of the other within the belt loop. In some instances, this rocking is objectionable, and in general, wearing comfort is improved if the major portion of the holster back wall is in direct contact with the wearer's leg throughout most of its axial length.
It is generally undesirable to have fasteners protruding into the interior of the holster, so as to avoid engagement with the handgun. In general, the mounting of snap fasteners, particularly to the holster walls, requires multiple or additional thicknesses of material. In addition to adding to the expense of manufacture, this additional material may detract from the appearance of the holster, and may interfere with the comfort of the wearer.